


Feloidea - Beginnings

by gothamsgaygirlgang



Series: Feloidea [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Catwoman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Action, Batman is real and doesn't speak, Catwoman origin story, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, Gen, Origin Story, assassin! Scarecrow, catwoman - Freeform, fear toxin hallucinations, genfic, selina kyle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-05-31 06:33:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15113777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothamsgaygirlgang/pseuds/gothamsgaygirlgang
Summary: Selina Kyle, an orphan and wanted criminal, leaves the Gotham City in order to hone her skills and learn more than Gotham has to offer. Her time spent travelling has come to an end and she returns to the city and reunites with a close friend. But in her time away, the City has changed in unusual ways.





	1. Reunion

It had been approximately 10 years since Selina Kyle had set foot in Gotham City. She strode through the streets of the East End with a strange sense of nostalgia, there was a comfort there but she knew better than to let her guard down. Neon signs clung to crumbling red brick buildings, boards covered up windows and graffiti seemed to appear too frequently. She stepped carefully as to avoid her heel being caught in the cracked footpath. The winter winds nipped at her exposed skin and she pulled up her scarf, Gotham still stank the same. She arrived in front of an older building that had been converted into apartments, she made her way up the steps and in through the door into an unkempt foyer. She could hear the chatter of TVs and barely muffled conversations that drifted from the apartments. 

Selina’s new apartment was the attic which had been converted into a studio apartment. The walls were stained from leaks and pipes ran through in various places. The bed folded into the wall and the kitchen wasn’t deserving of the title, it was a sink, a mini fridge and a hot plate. She threw her bag down and sat on the couch, “it’s only temporary” she said to herself. She began rooting around the apartment, looking in all the cupboards and generally surveying the place. Her search was interrupted by a knocking at her open apartment door. 

“Selina?” She asked tentatively. 

“Holly?” Selina jumped to her feet, ran over to her and pulled her into a hug. Coming back to Gotham and living in her awful apartment was all worth it just to see Holly. “You look so grown up, I hardly recognised you.” 

Selina Kyle and Holly Robinson were quite the devious duo before Selina left Gotham. After rescuing Holly from a corrupt cop who was trying to extort her, Selina took her under her wing and taught her everything she needed to know to survive on the streets of Gotham. Pick pocketing, lock picking, hot wiring, fighting, manipulation and various tricks to help her in any way she could. She was only slight at the time, scrawny but headstrong and determined. Selina did her best to teach her how to harness that when she needed it. Their bond was strong, forged in tears and blood. They had kept in contact throughout Selina’s wanderings, Holly had received the strangest post cards, parchment scrolls and once an actual raven appeared to deliver her message. Now the pair were finally back together. 

“So, how has Gotham been in my absence? Thoroughly dull and uneventful?” Selina asked playfully. 

“Of course it has, the drug dealers have lost their playful charm and the neon signs have seemed duller,” replied Holly. Their banter and chemistry was immediately reignited, almost like they were never apart. 

“Come on then, give me all the actual gossip, who’s in jail, who’s moved up in the world, who’s been shot or stabbed. I love a good stabbing story.” 

“Actually Selina," Holly began. "There’s something different about Gotham, something… It’s kinda hard to explain and I don’t know if you’ll believe me.” The tone in the room shifted after Holly’s words, she was looking at the floor and her muscles tensed. Selina racked her brain, there’s nothing she could imagine that could cause Holly to behave like this, no one Selina valued that could have died or put in jail. 

“There’s this… Well… It’s some sort of myth, but it’s also real because I’ve seen it myself” Holly continued. “It’s a bat creature or something? Like maybe a monster? Or I don’t know, like Bigfoot? But it actually exists, it’s actually out there.” 

“Are you being completely serious here Holly?” Selina stood up and gripped the younger girl’s shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. 

“Yes, I mean I don’t have all the answers, I can’t explain what it is or where it came from or what it wants or why it’s doing what it’s doing I mean it seems to be helping people an-“ 

“Holly, stop!” Selina ended her ramblings. “I believe you, strangely enough. There’s something about Gotham where I feel like anything is possible and not in the nice hopeful way.” 

Silence filled the room as Selina sat pensively over the revelation Holly had just made. A heroic bat creature? Selina had been around the world, she’d seen the most beautiful locations a human can see. But she’s also seen the lowest that they can sink, how truly corrupt and dreadful they can truly be. Nothing seemed too strange or too unrealistic for her to believe anymore. 

“There’s more Selina,” Holly continued “Things have changed around the East end, hell all over Gotham. The gangs have gotten worse, they’re more serious now. They have some serious backing too. No one knows if it’s the government or if their leaders are independent. ” 

“Men and their egos Holly, I’ve been wrapping them around my finger all my life. I’m not scared.” And Selina wasn’t scared, but she was glad that Holly warned her. Gang mentality can get to a persons head, especially when they feel they’re backed up by a rich, powerful figure. 

“I’m glad you aren’t scared of them because I sure as hell am, they have the money, the man power and connections to pull off some dangerous shit,” Holly’s voice was uneven. 

“C’mon you have nothing to be scared of, didn’t I teach you everything you needed to know before I left?” She said, patting Holly’s knee supportively. 

“I’ve been fine, some new scars but that’s kinda expected living here.” 

“Okay well come with me, I’ve got some new tricks to teach you.” 

The pair made their way to a local gym, it was ratty, half the equipment didn’t work and it did not smell good. But it had what they needed, a sparring room. They changed into more appropriate clothing and began warming up. When Selina first began training Holly, she thought he some standard self defence moves as well as how to throw a good punch. Among some other things like getting out of the trunk of a car or escaping when tied up. Given how much Gotham has deteriorated, she needed to teach her more. 

“Do you remember that list of things to do when facing a dangerous fight?” Selina said, holding up boxing pads for Holly to hit. 

“Yeah,” She started in between breaths. “Always run if it’s an option. If it’s not an, fight until it is. Make them underestimate you, knocking them off balance is key, and…” 

“Don’t use a weapon unless they are using one too. If they don’t have one they can take yours and use it against you. So, unless your weapon is something that takes a lot of skill and training to use, like my whip, leave it. They can also make you look like the attacker.” She swung and hit Holly in the face, she was rusty. 

They continued sparring until Selina was satisfied she had a decent grasp on Holly’s level. She began teaching her some new moves, moves that would teach her how to use her opponents size and strength against them. Holly was smaller and weaker than her which made Selina an excellent target. Once she had been thrown down one too many times, she called it a day. As they began warming down, Holly asked a question she had been waiting years to ask. 

“Why did you leave?” She tried to come off casual, but it was far more emotional than she intended. 

“There was nothing here for me Holly, I’ve always had big ambitions, maybe too big. And if I stayed here I wouldn’t have learned what I needed to learn.” 

“I was here.” Her voice merely a whisper. 

“Which is why I came back. And why I kept in touch as best I could, I sent you a raven Holly. A RAVEN!” She pulled the younger girl into a tight hug, Holly hesitated before reciprocating the gesture. 

“Now let’s go shower, and get something to eat. You’re moving in right?”


	2. Crime and Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina needs some decent equipment before she can truly make her start as a master thief. She's ripping off dealers for a bit to try and fund the cost of her new equipment. One particular scheme doesn't go quite as planned.

Selina surveyed the items which she had laid out on her bed; her whip, a staple in her kit, something she always had it with her on a job and she would carry it with her every day if she could. The next item, a simple lock picking kit, nothing too fancy, good enough for breaking into cars and other simple locks. The final thing among her tools were some throwing knives, they’re surprisingly versatile tools. This was not the equipment of a master thief, but it’s all she had and she had to make do. She tucked the items in her pockets and wrapped the whip around her waist. She was ready for another night time excursion. 

“Hey, don’t forget this,” Holly stopped Selina as she was climbing out the window. She handed her a phone. “My number is in there, just in case.” Selina thanked Holly and tucked the out of date phone in her pocket. 

Holly and Selina had elected to share her apartment for the time being. Holly had moved some of her furniture in and the place seemed like more of a home and less of a hovel. Selina was grateful to her, she wasn’t just a great roommate but she was also her eyes and ears on the streets. She knew people who knew people who knew people and to Selina, who only knew one person, that was incredibly valuable. In fact, Holly was the reason that Selina was even going out tonight, there was a big exchange going down, Holly caught wind of it and informed her about it. Not that Holly wasn’t getting anything out of this arrangement either, she was paid handsomely. 

“I’ll be fine, it’s not like I’m new at this.” Selina replied before disappearing out the window. 

Leaping from the rooftops was one of Selina’s favourite things in the world. It gave her a feeling that was indescribable, nothing else could compare to the feeling of landing a risky jump or her whip wrapping around a hold just right as she swung around. The buildings in the East End couldn’t compare to the high rise sky scrapers in the richer districts of Gotham, but for now they would do. 

After landing on the rooftop, she checked her phone to confirm the address. She sat with her legs dangling over the edge, this was the right place, according to Holly. She had been robbing these dealers for quite a while, she kept it infrequent and made sure to bide her time, by now and they were usually pretty predictable, one is waiting in the shadows of the alley, another pulls up in a car, they get out a talk and that’s when Selina moves in for the kill. Sometimes, the guys wouldn’t notice the money was gone other times they would and that was worth sticking around for. The amount of money usually depends on what’s being exchanged, sometimes it’s a few hundred and sometimes it’s a few grand. 

The first guy appeared and he took his place in the alley, he was followed by another man. 

“Shit!” Selina thought to herself. “More men, more risk.”

And then the car appeared and two men got out. 

“Damn!” She certainly wasn’t expecting this amount of security. The hand over was already taking place and she didn’t have much time. She weighed her options, if there was this amount of security that meant more money and she really needed that money. But she would have to fight more men, probably armed men, and the risks of injury, or even death were high. The men were already making their way back to their car. And with that, she leap from her position on the roof and landed on the man carrying the bag full of cash, knocking him unconscious. 

Being quick, tactical and precise was key. She swung her leg up, kicking the other man, it caught him by surprise and he was down too. The other two men drew their guns and went to pull the trigger but Selina had anticipated this, her whip was already wrapped around his weapon. She used the weight of the gun to batter the two men in the head, taking them out too. But the other men in the car were ready for her. They swiftly exited the car and began firing in her direction. Selina had managed to hit one man with a throwing knife to the shoulder, but he continued firing. Lunging for cover, one of the men landed a shot.

Blood began soaking through her clothes, trying to steady her breath and keep herself calm but the pain was searing and her vision began to blur. 

There was a fire escape on the opposing building in the alleyway, that was an escape plan, the other option was to keep fighting. Despite the wound, her whip managed to wrap around the railing, it wasn’t as satisfying as it usually was. She gritted her teeth and prepared to launch herself up to it, this was going to hurt. The pain was far more intense than she was expecting, she hadn’t managed to brace herself for the landing and she crashed through the window of the apartment. Luckily it was abandoned, but she couldn’t stop to rest, she had to keep moving. She crawled back up through the window and dragged herself up the fire escape. The men and their car was gone, they weren’t chasing her. 

Despite the excruciating pain coursing through her body, Selina had made it to the safety of the rooftops and pulled out the phone Holly had just given her. 

“Selina? Oh God, what’s wrong.” Holly asked, concern in her voice. 

“I’m on the roof of the building where the deal went down, I got shot, come get me.” And with that, she passed out. 

When Selina came to, her good arm was wrapped around Holly’s shoulder and she was being dragged through the halls of an apartment building. 

“Damn, I was hoping to wake up all bandaged up and in bed!” Selina managed to choke out. 

“I have your still wet blood on me and that’s what you have to say?” Holly replied. 

“I don’t have anything if I don’t have my sense of humour. Where are we anyway?” 

“I’m bringing you to someone who can take the bullet out of you, is that good enough?” She grunted, Selina grew heavier and heavier in her arms. 

“Hey! Don’t be mad at me, I have a bullet in me.” 

Holly propped Selina against the wall and began knocking at the door. It swung open and an elderly woman stood in the doorway, looking quite disheveled and not happy at all. She ushered Holly and Selina through where Holly set her down on a plump, floral print couch. 

“Selina, this is Leslie Thompkins, local Doctor in the East End and all around bad bitch.” 

“Holly, there will be time for introductions later… And stop referring to me like that!” Leslie scolded Holly. 

“Like what?” Holly asked, feigning innocence. 

“I’m not going to say it.” 

“Bleeding out here!” Selina exclaimed with as much strength as she had left. 

Leslie set a bag on her coffee table and got to work. She began removed tools from her doctors bag when she suddenly began frantically searching through her bag and dumping it’s contents on the table. 

“Uhhh Doc?” Holly asked rising from her place in the armchair across from Selina. 

“I don’t have the correct tools to extract the bullet,” She said rifling through the scattered objects on the table. Selina groaned in pain. Leslie stood up and made her way to the kitchen and began rifling through her cupboards and drawers. “I need something small but strong to remove the bullet, like a tweezers,” And with that she rushed into her bathroom and came back out holding a small set of tweezers with mother of pearl handles “It’s not ideal but I can make it work.” 

“Would this be of any use to you Doc?” Selina asked, removing the lock picking kit from her pocket and holding it up for Leslie to see. 

“I’m sure I can make some use of it.” 

With all the tools she managed to scavenge, Leslie began the process of removing the bullet. Selina bit down on one of her plump cushions and prepared for the extraction. Leslie’s long slender fingers made quick work of the wound, it was almost hypnotic to watch her work. Bullet wounds were not an uncommon occurrence for Leslie, especially while working in the East End, and her proficiency showed even with the makeshift tools. She set the tools aside and placed a bandage over her wound. 

“You’re quite lucky you know that?” Leslie told Selina. “It seemed to be a ricochet shot, given the strange angle of entry and the fact that it wasn’t a particularly bad wound. Though how you managed to scale a building is beyond me.” 

“Don’t think too much of me, it was one good jump and I dragged myself up a fire escape.” Selina was voice was slow and heavy, speaking was a struggle. Exhaustion, pain, were all catching up with her. “Holly, before I pass out please tell me you have the bag.”

“It’s right here,” Holly sat down in an armchair and lifted the bag on her lap. She unzipped it and pulled out a stack a money. Suddenly, there were stacks of money shooting around the apartment. “It’s all fake.” The overturned bag sat on the table among all the fake bills, as well as a single white envelope. 

“That better be a treasure map, or the code to some offshore account with millions or the formula of how to turn lead into gold.” Selina couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. 

“Dear bitch or bastard,” Holly started reading the letter. “You’ve been ripping off my guys and me for too long. I’ve lost plenty of good money to your thieving ass and it’s not going to keep happening. If you’re alive and reading this note I’ll be impressed. But I’m coming for you, no where is safe. Signed B.M… and there’s a little skull there too.” Holly finished reading the note. 

“B.M.? Bowel movement?” Selina asked, sarcastically.

Holly crumpled the note and tossed it aside, she threw herself back into the armchair and folded her arms. “We can figure it out tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out my tumblr for some of my own art to go along with this fic!


	3. Stagnant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie Thompkins doesn't trust the woman who appeared back in Gotham and back into Holly's life.  
> Holly finds someone to make Selina's equipment

Selina was used to waking up in strange places, but this was among the first times that it had been a pleasant experience. She stretched out on the plush couch, though the wound in her shoulder sent a jolt of pain through her body and brought back the memories of last night, the fight, the bullet wound, the fake money, the note, all of it, it wasn’t a nightmare. Holly was still passed out in the armchair across from the couch, though someone placed a blanket over her, as well as Selina, the first musings of sunlight began to stream through the curtains. Leslie’s apartment was surprisingly modern for an elderly woman, lot’s of shiny black and white surfaces, some art hung on the walls, an impressive TV sat in the corner of the room. 

Not wanting to wake Holly, she lay back down and attempted to go back to sleep. Her attempts to drift off were interrupted by two small feelings of pressure on her stomach, and then four and then one big lump sat on her stomach. Selina opened her eyes and a fluffy orange cat mewed at her before curling up on her stomach. 

“Hello cutie,” she cooed, scratching the cat’s head. With the help of her purring, she soon managed to fall into a light sleep. 

*

“How long have you two known each other?” Leslie asked as she began making coffee. 

“Quite a bit, longer than I’ve known you actually.” 

“Oh… Then why haven’t I met her before now?” She asked carefully. Eggs sizzled in a pan, the apartment filled with the smell of breakfast.

“Emmm… She’s umm… she-“ Holly stammered. “She’s been gone for a while, but she’s back now. I should have introduced you two sooner. I bet you’ll like her when she’s not, you know, been shot. And she loves cats, look, Marmalade has been laying on her all morning,” She gestured towards the couch where Selina lay, still asleep, with the orange cat curled up on her. “You should always trust people who your cat trusts.” 

“I trust you, Holly. I’m just surprised you haven’t mentioned her before asking me to remove a bullet from her shoulder.” Her tone come across a tad sharper than she intended. 

“I’m sorry Leslie, I shouldn’t have done this but I didn’t know what else to do.” 

“No, don’t apologise Holly it’s not that, you know I trust you by now. I’m just worried about you, I’m just worried about you, you’ve gotten involved with the wrong people before and I don’t want to see it happen again.” Leslie’s voice was stern, but the undercurrent of care was always present. 

“What? No, of course not!” Holly seemed slightly offended by the question. “Selina saved my ass plenty of times before she left, and she only left knowing that I could take care of myself without her. She’s gonna pay you back for everything, I promise.” She slid the cooked eggs onto plates and set them on the table.

“Holly, money isn’t an issue, I have plenty of sponsors for the clinic. And I’ll drop it, for now.” 

“In more ways than just money.” 

Holly made her way over to the couch, she gently shook Selina awake. 

“Breakfast.” Holly said gently and no word had ever sounded better to Selina. She shuffled over to the table and sat down.

“Coffee?” Leslie asked, holding up a cafetière. 

“Please.” Selina said hoarsely, holding out her cup. 

They sat around the table in a tense silence, with only the sound of silverware clinking to break it up. 

“So…” Leslie began. “Tell me a bit about yourself, Selina.” 

“Well, I’m a pisces, I like cats and long walks on the beach.” Selina replied playfully, but Leslie’s scowl told her that it wasn’t the right move. 

“I did remove a bullet from your shoulder, it’s only fair you tell me.” Leslie asked again with a sickly sweet smile

“I don’t really know what to tell you here, Leslie. Anything specific you want to know?” 

“I’d like to know why you think it’s acceptable to appear out of thin air and drag a young girl into your dangerous affairs.” 

Selina sat, stunned at the bluntness of Leslie’s words. Was that how this came across to her? 

“Holly has been in dangerous affairs for most of her life and it’s thanks to me that she’s managed to survive this long. I would never put her in the line of fire but if she chooses to do that then I can’t stop her, but I can make sure she doesn’t die.” Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, frustrating, anger bubbling up inside of her. 

“Then don’t get shot.” Leslie replied, venomously. “If you’re going to protect her, then you better prove to me that you can protect yourself. I have some powerful people that owe me a favour and if something happens to Holly I’m sending them after you.” 

“Leslie,” Holly finally spoke up. “I’m perfectly capable of defending myself, I’ve been doing it since I was a child. I think that note just freaked you out. I’m not involved with him anymore so you don’t have to worry.” 

“As long as you stay away from him and his men and his money, then I’ll be okay.”

“Who?” Selina asked. 

“The guy who wrote the note, Black Mask.”

 

**

Selina lay, gazing up at the twinkling lights Holly put up in the apartment in an attempt to brighten the dreary place. The revelation at breakfast was playing over and over in her head. Her younger companion had gotten involved with one of the now numerous crime bosses in Gotham. It had started innocently enough, just working as an informant. But it began to escalate, he began to trust her and when she realised what he was, she bailed. Holly had been laying low and staying with Leslie and the searched seemed to die out eventually. But Selina was bringing Holly back in and it made all three of the women nervous. 

They hadn’t spoked to each other since that, until she returned to the apartment.

“Hey,” Holly greeted Selina timidly. 

“Hey,” Selina replied, not looking away from the lights. An awkward silence hung in the room for a few minutes before Holly cut through it. 

“I got dinner. It’s Pizza, with pineapple. Well, your one has pineapple, I don’t really like that you know. I also got some painkillers for-.” 

“Holly, please relax. I’m not mad at you… Or Leslie for that matter. I’m actually happy you have someone who seems to care about you as much as I do. And look we’ve all made mistakes, Lord knows I have.” 

“Okay,” Holly breathed a sigh of relief. She set the pizzas down and sat on the couch. “And we’re going to have to have dinner with Leslie or something. Make a new first impression.”

“I don’t want to anger those powerful friends she has, so why not.” 

“Aside from everything, I do have a surprise for you.” Holly teased. 

“Oh do tell me, I can’t handle the suspense.” 

“Well, you know how we’ve been looking for someone to get you some equipment. Well I may have found someone.”

“Who?” Selina asked.

“He goes by the alias, The Riddler.”


	4. Trials and Tribulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trail of the elusive Riddler demands the full attention of both Holly and Selina. Though the pair can feel the watchful eye following their shenanigans, is it the Mysterious Riddler? Or something more sinister?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very happy people seem to be enjoying this! As you can see there's one more part to go before it's finished.

Winter had fully set in on Gotham, light blankets of snow covered the streets and made everywhere seem less bleak. Christmas lights were strung in between the buildings, and fat men in red suits were a frequent sight. Some time had passed since Selina’s injury, it was almost completely healed but there would be a scar.

Holly had tried her best to find the man who had given her the information that resulted in Selina being shot but he seemed to have vanished completely. A long conversation followed her confession of working with Black Mask. When Holly had last worked with him it was out of his family’s steel mill, that was still being used as a cover, but he moved his base of operations elsewhere. Apparently, his aspirations were very telling, wanting more, bigger, better, more extravagant, like he had something to prove or something to compensate for. Holly was also not doing great in finding any more information about the mysterious figure known as “The Riddler.” All they had was the simple black calling card, even the person who gave it to Holly didn’t know anything. The Riddler had orchestrated it well, passing the card between numerous people to avoid being traced. 

“I don’t think we’re meant to find him by chasing down people.” Selina sat with the card on the table in front of her. She had poured over it for clues looking for any giveaway, any clue to tip them off. 

“Well, his name is The Riddler, maybe the card is a riddle. Or we could try and find someone else to help with your equipment. I heard there’s this bar in the Bowery that-“ Holly began to suggest before Selina cut her off. 

“No, there’s something about this that just tells me he’s the right choice. Or maybe I’m just stubborn and don’t want to let him win.”

“Okay, well,” Holly began. “There’s nothing on the card that can be seen with human eyes, maybe we should try something else…” She walked over to the light switch and turn it off, Selina studied the card but found no change. 

“I don’t think you’re wrong Holly…” She trailed off, not taking her eyes from the card. A scraggly cat jumped onto the table and began pawing at the card. 

“Oh oh, I know,” She jumped and ran over to her bag and pulled her phone out, she used an app on her phone to scan for any codes, “Never mind,” She sighed, and flopped down onto the couch defeated. 

“Hang on.” Selina stood up and walked over to the bed, she pulled a U.V. light out from the bedside drawer. 

“Why do you have that?” Holly asked, suspicion in her tone. 

“In this place?” Selina gestured around the room. Holly nodded in understanding. She shone the blacklight over the card and some text became visible on the card. It read: 

“Marking mortal privation, when firmly in place. An enduring summation, inscribed in my face.  
What am I?” 

“So he lives up to his name?,” Holly asked sarcastically. Selina scribbled down the riddle and turned off the blacklight, setting it aside. 

“I hope this isn’t very drawn out, I don’t want to be solving riddles all week.” She said, frustration in her voice. She tucked the card and the riddle into her pocket and began to put on her coat. 

“Where are we going?” Holly asked. 

“The old graveyard. That’s what the riddle is about, a headstone.” She replied nonchalantly. 

“Ahh, I knew that.” Holly grabbed her coat and scarf and followed Selina out the door. 

They made their way through the streets of Gotham, not even the snow could convince people to stay inside. Banks of brown slush lined the edges of the road, and the freezing winds of winter blew through the streets. Holly and Selina strode quickly through the streets, weaving through people who walked too slowly as they were attempting to avoid slipping. Holly was admiring the lights in one particularly festive shop window, when she collided with what felt like a wall. 

“Hey watch it!” She grumbled frustrated at the pedestrian’s ignorance. She glanced up to see who was had bumped into her, he was an incredibly tall, slender figure with deep, dark circles underneath his eyes and a particularly weathered face. He made Holly immediately uneasy, she dropped her angry expression immediately and rushed back to Selina. The man said nothing, only watched Selina and Holly as they walked away. 

“What a creep?” Holly said, shivering not from the cold but from the man’s unnerving presence. Selina nodded in agreement. She could feel the mans eyes burning into the back of her head. 

The amount of people on the streets became fewer and fewer as they drew closer and closer to the graveyard. It was quite a strange place in Gotham, despite being in the city it seemed to be constantly silent. Winter had stripped all the leaves from the trees and their naked branches seemed sharp and menacing, like pikes on the battles of a castle. Many of the limestone headstones had been worn away, the inscriptions were almost totally illegible. The place was not well kept, but there were signs that someone was still tending to the place every so often. Holly read the placard that was hung outside the graveyard, it had a lot of graffiti scratched into it. She noticed a cluster of question marks along the side and pointed it out to Selina. 

“Think it means we’re on the right track?” She asked. 

“It better.” Selina replied before making her way into the graveyard. 

There were rows and rows of cracked and broken headstones and the pair began examining them all for any signs of the The Riddler. Crosses, doves, flowers, inscriptions but no question marks. Selina rested against the back wall of the graveyard, frustrated after scanning every one and finding nothing. 

“I’m not digging up any graves, I can’t add that to the list.” Holly sighed and sank into a squat, resting her legs. 

“It’s not so bad, the smell is the worst part. Once I was in this tomb and a body was well over a thousand years old and…” Holly did not look impressed. “This guy is either really good, or absolutely terrible. Either way I want to find out.” Selina replied, changing the subject. She turned and began scaling the stone wall that overlooked the graveyard. 

“What are you doing?” Holly asked. 

“Getting a bird’s eye view, care to join me?” Selina replied from halfway up the wall. And then Holly started after her. The jagged stone wall made for easy climbing, plenty of foot holds. The two sat atop the wall, gazing over the graveyard, looking for any particular clues. 

“Look, the cross headstone over there.” Selina pointed to a broken Celtic cross on the far side of the graveyard. “That kinda looks like a question mark, right?” She asked, haplessly. 

“I don’t think so, Selina.” Holly replied. 

“Please tell me I didn’t need that stupid black light for this too?” She sighed absentmindedly. The two sat in silence for a while, Holly’s heels rhythmically tapping against the wall. 

“Hey, what’s the name of this graveyard again?” Holly broke the silence. 

“Uhh, Pompeius Graveyard or something? Why?” Selina asked. Holly leapt from the wall and broke her fall with a roll before taking off into a sprint. Crows scattered in a panic away from her as she moved. She stopped at a gravestone and gestured for Selina to follow her.

“Look, there it is on the gravestone.” Holly pointed to a headstone that stuck out among the others because it was far less weathered looking than the other stones. The carved inscription was still quite clear to read. It read: 

Aperio

“It means open in Latin, I think.” Holly whispered, running her fingers along the word. Selina pulled a knife from the pocket of her coat and began to pry the front face of the tombstone open. She marvelled at how Holly seemed to know this, concluding that the nuns Holly had spent some time with forced her to learn it. At least it was useful for something now. The dragging stone echoed throughout the empty graveyard. They were both suddenly aware of how alone they were, the sounds of the city seemed miles away. A series of numbers were carved on the inside of the grave. She copied the numbers into her notebook. 

“C’mon Holly, let’s go. We can figure out what this means later.” She said in a hushed voice, something was telling her they were being watched. 

They rushed through the streets, back to their apartment. The pair didn’t know where it was coming from or why but both had a similar sense of urgency about them. Like something bad would happen if they stayed out too long. They had never felt so relieved to be back in their awful apartment. 

Selina sat at the table, took out her notebook and began to work immediately. She tried everything that came to hand, relating the numbers to letters of the alphabet, which only led to gibberish. She attempted it in reverse order which only led to more gibberish. The sound of a pen tapping against the pages of her notebook filled the apartment as she pondered what the numbers could mean. 

“Selina can you please stop making that noise,” Holly grumbled from the couch. 

“Well, maybe you could even fake an attempt to help me here.” Selina shot back, tapping her pen faster. Holly lifted herself from the couch. She rested her arm on Selina’s head as she looking down at the series of numbers. 

“It’s co ordinance, I think.” Holly typed the numbers into her phone and an address in Gotham came up. 

“Why are you so good at this?” Selina laughed.

“Don’t question genius!” 

The co ordinates had led them to a derelict building near the docs in Gotham. The red brick had crumbled in places, windows were boarded up and graffiti was scrawled all over the lower sections. The few hours of daylight Gotham had during the winter had disappeared and the only thing illuminating their path came from the flickering street lights. The building seemed all the more menacing with the shadows they casted. The door had been boarded up, there seemed to be no clear entrance. Selina made her way up to the door and knocked on the ply wood, no response. She attempted to push it aside but it was held firmly in place. And given the fact that she would prefer to remain unnoticed, she decided against kicking it in. 

“What do we do now?” Holly asked. 

“I’m going to go up and try to get in from there. Less conspicuous. You feel like keeping watch?” She nodded towards the roof of the building.

“Watch for what?” 

“I don’t know cops? The Riddler himself? Haven’t you been getting that feeling that we are being watched for the last few days?” Selina whispered. Holly nodded in response. “Well, both of us can’t be wrong, so just be careful and watch for anything suspicious.” 

Selina began scaling the building, the architecture in Gotham made it quite convenient to climb. There were plenty of handholds though the bricks crumbled under her fingers. She slipped through an open skylight and landed silently. Creeping down the stairs, she kept her eyes open for any signs of movement. When she reached the ground floor the only signs of life were the mice who scampered around. Everything was covered in a layer of grime and dust and despite her delicate steps she had left a trail of footprints. The building seemed almost entirely undisturbed since it was sealed up, the only place she had not checked yet was the basement.

“I’m so glad I’ve never watched any horror movies.” She mumbled to herself and began descending the rickety stairs. The basement was shrouded in complete darkness, no moonlight or light from the streets. She could hardly see her hand in front of her face. Her hand ran along the wall hoping to find a light switch of some sort and with a click, one flickered on, just about illuminating the room. The basement seemed all but empty except for a metal hatch embedded in the floor. It looked like something from a submarine and the metal seemed polished and fresh enough. She opened the hatch and descended the ladder inside. 

A figure sat hunched over a desk, the small room was covered in various wires, computer parts and other tech. It looked like a butcher shop for robots.

“Ms. Kyle?” The figure sitting at the desk sprung to his feet and greeted her. “I assumed I’d be seeing you soon, though not quite so soon. I’m mildly impressed.” 

“How do you know my name, The Riddler, or is it just Riddler?” She asked. 

“Riddler is fine, let’s keep it semi formal. And if there’s one thing to know about Gotham City is that there is nothing more valuable than information. Consider that on the house.” He stepped forward into the light and Selina was able to see the mastermind who had sent her on a wild goose chase all over Gotham. He was of average height, a slim build with quaffed ginger hair. He wore a domino mask to obscure his identity. Not an uncommon thing in Gotham, she did the same. The Riddler seemed quite well kept and well dressed.

“Do you make everyone who wants to work with you jump through all those hoops?” Selina was biting back anger at his smugness. 

“Not those particular hoops, I do change it up. But if I know they have enough money or some particularly valuable information then we can bypass that and cut to the chase.” 

Selina noticed a particularly heavy console on one of the shelves and imagined braining him with it, the thoughts alone were enough to get her through the rest of the exchange. She observed the rest of the room and noticed a security bade from Wayne Enterprises sitting on his desk. 

“Well, Riddler, since you know my name I assume you’ll know why I am here.” She waited for his response but he remained silent. If she was keeping score she would have given herself a point… But she definitely wasn’t keeping score.

He took a folder from Selina and began flicking through her designs and specifications. “Interesting… Tired of robbing the scum of Gotham? Have your sights on something bigger?” 

“Absolutely. I’m sure you want the same,” She threw her eyes around the room. He didn’t reply but the change in his body language told her enough. With the designs and downpayment left with the Riddler, she left the basement.

When she landed back down onto the pavement, Holly stepped out of the shadows. 

“We can talk at the apartment, right now I want to get out of her.” There was a great sense of urgency in her voice. The two scurried through the streets and arrived at the entrance to their building rather breathlessly. A single crow caw echoed through the streets. 

They entered their apartment and hung up their jackets, the feeling of unease persisted even when they were inside. Selina gestured for Holly to stay at the door while she crept into the apartment. A blade swung from around the corner and Selina just managed to avoid it, she rolled forward and could make our a looming figure beside her bed. 

He lunged for Selina tackling her over the couch. Holly sprung after him, using her momentum to pull the much larger man off Selina. He managed to throw her off and grabbed his scythe laying on the ground, the blade that nearly decapitated her. Selina jumped back to her feet and he unleashed a flurry of slashes at her, she managed to dodge them but was slashed on the arm. She managed to redirect a swipe towards the wall where it stuck, she kicked it further into the wall completely stopping the man from pulling it out. She threw her elbow back, hitting him in the face and knocking him off his balance. 

Holly threw Selina her whip, she used it to subdue the man’s wrist as he reached into his pockets for something. She pulled him forward and he fell, she brought her knee to connect with his chin and the man was launched backwards into the wall. It knocked the wind out of him and he slumped down.

Now that he was laying on the floor, Selina managed to study the man. He was covered in raggedy burlap and plaid, his face was also obscured with a burlap mask. She pressed her foot onto the man’s wrist, pinning him in place.

“Who are you?” She snarled, adding more weight to her foot. No response. She cracked her whip on his legs. 

“I was hoping to use this.” You could hear the sickening smile in his voice. There was a light hissing noise, and a cloud of gas started pluming from the man’s costume. It soon filled the apartment. Selina and Holly began coughing, Holly attempted to open the window before the gas took effect. The two women were soon crippled with fear, quaking, unable to control their bodies. With two swift blows he knocked them unconscious. 

“Send a car, I’m bringing them in.”


	5. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina faces off against one of the bigger crime bosses in Gotham who she has been ripping off for months.

Horrific visions danced in her head, corpses, insects, gore images so vivid she swore she could smell them, reach out and touch them. The bodies soon began to develop familiar faces, Holly’s first, a death rattle emanating from her. More gruesome images flashed before her, most featuring Holly, she saw the face of her mother. A frail figure crying out. Visions of her father, looming, deafening roars, shadows. She tried to pick up her scattered mind, compose herself in any way she could. She focused on her body, feeling her eyes shut tightly, she tried to relax them. Then her jaw, clenched so hard she felt her teeth would break. She moved down to her shoulders, they were hunched painfully, she could almost feel her muscles tearing. The visions began to fade slowly, the voices became less deafening and the visions less obscure. Soon they seemed further away. 

Selina managed to open her eyes slightly, she was in the back of a car. Something was leaning against her, trembling. Holly. She could make out two figures in the front seat. Her hands were bound behind her. She considered her options. If she escaped, Holly would be left behind, she wasn’t in any position to run. Selina had managed to pull herself out of the toxin but Holly couldn’t do that. Control over her mind and body was a hard earned skill. Her body also felt weak, exhausted, like she had just finished an intense workout. All of her muscles were tensed during her hallucinations. She decided it was best to feign unconsciousness and see where they were taking her for now. If they wanted them dead, the assassin would have done it back at her apartment. 

The car eventually stopped and the pair were lifted from the car. Holly was being taken in another direction and Selina fought the urge to go after her. She could hear feet echoing on a marble floor. She then heard a woman’s heels clicking on the floor. 

“Oh good,” she chirped, Selina assumed it was in reference to her capture. “He’s free now, go on in.” 

A large wooden door creaked open, Selina was placed in a chair. Her limbs were unbound but then quickly secured to the chair. She sat, slumped in the chair. 

“That her?” A gravelly, masculine voice asked in amusement. “Payment in full.” He spoke up again. There were more footsteps, the door opened and closed and Selina was left alone with this man. Suddenly, she was smacked across the face. “WAKE UP BITCH!” He roared. 

Her face stung, unable to feign unconsciousness anymore she gasped. She was greeted to the sight of a man in a white, pinstripe suit. He also had a skull black mask encompassing his head. He stood inches away, right in her face, his breath hissing out of the closed teeth of the mask. The sight made her jump and the chair moved back with her. 

“What the hell?” A million questions raced through her head, but that was the first thing out of her mouth. “Who are you?” 

“I’m the guy you’ve been stealing from for MONTHS. I’m the guy who’s been running the drug trade in Gotham for YEARS. And I’m the guy who’s going to rule this city.” He delivered his piece with a flare of drama. 

“So… No name then?” She asked dryly. She was struck again. 

“I go by Black Mask.” He growled. Selina’s mind shot back to the note they received in the bag full of counterfeit bills. 

“Okay Black Mask, why am I here, alive and not dead. The assassin you sent had me and my friend beat. Why not kill us?” She asked, her tone still dry. But the underlying fear for Holly’s life was still present. 

“The reason that I’m here, in this fancy office, with people working for me, is because I make smart decisions. And killing you right now would make me very happy, but it wouldn’t be a smart decision. I’ve hired thieves before and well you get what you’d expect with a thief, ripped off. But now I have one right here and I know she won’t rip me off, because I have her little friend.” He was gloating, it made her want to vomit.

“So you want me to… Work for you?” She asked carefully, the reference to Holly caused a shift in her tone. 

“Exactly, I want you to pull a job for me, consider it paying off your debts. And if you say no? I’ll rip your little buddy’s insides out and make you swallow them.” His voice raised towards the end of his sentence and Selina recoiled. 

“What job did you have in mind?” 

 

***

Later that evening, Selina found herself on the roof of the Natural History Museum in Gotham. Black Mask had sent her there to steal some rare taxidermy insects. She didn’t want to question why but her curiosity got the best of her, aside from his outburst of “HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME” etcetera, he explained that they were for an eccentric client he was hoping to strike a deal with. The bugs would hopefully win him over. 

The ventilation system was just wide enough for her to slide through. Selina had been in this museum once before as a child. It was a particularly stormy day and she needed somewhere to stay dry. There were plenty of activities for children to occupy her time, games, puzzles, play areas but she spent her time stealing from the particularly touristy looking tourists. She did return the wallets to lost and found, only after taking some money. 

She wove through the vents, eventually stumbling onto the security room. She delicately opened the vents, dropped down and disabled the cameras. There was a guard on duty but he had fallen asleep, she thought it best to leave him.

Grand replicas of dinosaurs, mammoths and terrifying sea creatures filled the main halls of the museum. Moonlight streamed in from the skylights and cast dramatic shadows making them seem all the more terrifying. There was not a soul around, so silent she could even hear her own delicate footfalls. A large map of the museum stood next to rubbish bins. She examined the map looking for the most likely place for these insects to be located. The Entomology Wing was a good place to start. 

“Update,” Black Mask grumbled. He had given Selina an earpiece so that he could communicate with her the entire time, fortunately for her he had stayed silent until now. 

“I’m looking at these stupid bugs right now, I just need to steal them and get out.” She whispered. No response. She looked around the case, examining the security measures. There was a lock protecting the insects, there was a wire leading away from the case. Possibly an alarm system or possibly to manage the temperature of the case. She cute the wire just to be safe, no alarm went off. She began picking the lock. The door to of the case swung open and she began plucking the moths from the case. 

As she was about to make her exit with the stolen insects, an alarm started blaring in the museum. The sound was deafening, red lights began flashing and she could barely make out Black Mask laughing in her ear. She threw down the moths and began sprinting through the museum. Up, out on to the roof, they wouldn’t be expecting that. All thoughts of stealth and grace leaving her, she scrambled up a display case and crashed through one of the windows leading onto the roof. She sprinted across the roof of the museum looking for another roof to leap to, she came closed to the edge ready to jump when something flew at her face and knocked her backwards. 

“What is with everyone and hitting me in the face today?” She whined, slowly rising to her feet. A figure shrouded in darkness stood before her, it was a tall man, she could tell that much, but there were pointy horns on his head. She tilted her head to the side in confusion. The figure lunged at her and she gracefully leap over his attack. He began throwing punches at her, but she countered and she caught his arm and flipped him over her shoulder, onto the ground. He momentarily stayed on the ground before leaping to his feet once again. His next flurry of punches were not so easy to dodge, he had been pulling his punches. One punch caught her off balance, a swift kick to the stomach launched her back into one of the museum’s glass domes. She sank to her feet, unable to continue the fight.

“Okay, I give up you win.” She threw her hands up, even that action took too much out of her. “Kill me or what ever.” 

The man place handcuffs on her wrist and lifted her to her feet. She now got a better look at him, there was a bat symbol on his chest. 

“You’re that bat thing everyone has been talking about?” She asked, he replied with a grunt. “Am I really your top priority? A robbery at the museum? I mean I didn’t even end up stealing anything so it was just what? Breaking and entering? Trespassing? Don’t you have something better to do?” Another grunt was all she got in return. 

“Hey I know,” She continued. “You heard of Black Mask? Big crime boss in Gotham?” The Batman’s eyes were hidden, but she could feel his glare boring into her. “Well, I know where he is and I’d be willing to help if you let me off with a warning this time.” He nodded, though her kept her in handcuffs. 

Selina was placed in the passenger seat of an extremely hi tech and no doubt expensive car. The engine roared to life and Selina understood how he got to the museum so quickly. They tore through the streets of Gotham, the feeling made Selina slightly sick but the Batman seemed used to it. 

“Black Mask probably used me at the museum to distract from something else, or just to mess with me.” Selina made attempts to draw some words out of the man. “You’re gonna have to let me out of these handcuffs if you want some help.” She rattled the cuffs against each other. 

They sat in silence together, she was unable to draw any words from the man in the bat suit. She wondered if he was mute, or just rude. After a silent climb, they were on a rooftop, overlooking Black Mask sitting in his office. 

“He has my friend somewhere in there, she’s innocent in all this and he will kill her.” She turned to the Batman who was getting ready to launch himself through the window using some sort of grapple gun. He held eye contact with her for a few moments before nodding. 

Selina’s limbs were weak, her muscles were exhausted and the cold winter wind of Gotham felt like it could knock her over. Snow began to float down from the sky as she threw her whip to the far building. The pair crashed through the massive window into Black Mask’s office. Shards of glass rained down on him and spilled through his office. Selina wasted no time and went straight out the door of his office, leaving Batman to deal with him. She swiftly dispatched the guards outside his office as well as his assistant. She sprinted through through the halls of the building, she avoided more of the men who were barrelling towards Black Mask’s office. 

Holly sat, also tied to a chair in a room guarded by two surly men. The sound of the window breaking and the ensuing chaos provided her with the perfect opportunity. She used all her strength to launch herself at one of the men, causing him to crash into the wall. She jumped backwards into the other man, breaking the chair against him. Her hands still bound, she sent the top half of the chair crashing over the first man’s head. Selina heard the ruckus and dove through the door just in time to save Holly from the second man.

“Thanks,” Holly panted. 

“I owed you. I still do.” And the pair took off. 

“Shouldn’t we be running out the front door?” They were sprinting back upstairs. 

“I told Batman I’d help him.” 

“Batman? I told you he was real?”

The pair reached the hallway to Black Mask’s office where he was waiting for them. They could see over his shoulder that the Batman was dealing with a small army of goons. 

“That idiot in the costume has been ruining my operations for too long. Your petty thefts don’t make a dent in what he’s done to me. I’m finally gonna remove two thorns in my side. It’s like I said, I never met a thief who didn’t turn on me.” He gloated, Selina practically salivated at the thoughts of what she would do to him. 

He reached into the jacket of his suit but Selina was ready. She was already rushing at him using all the strength she could muster. He took a shot and she dropped into a slide, dodging the bullet and knocking him off of his feet. He hit the ground hard, she quickly disarmed him and slid the gun back to Holly. She emptied the weapon and came to Selina’s side. Black Mask tried but he was no match for both Holly and Selina working in tandem. They beat him so badly that his mask had shattered, exposing his bloodied face. He could only groan in pain in the state they left him in. Selina began digging in his pockets, looking for something. 

“He doesn’t seem like the type to keep a wallet.” Holly panted, rubbing her bruised knuckles. Selina pulled a laminated card out of his suit. 

“I knew it. Here,” She handed Holly the card. “I bet there’s a safe in there somewhere.” She said with a wink.

The Batman had been holding his own in the fight, it didn’t even look like he needed Selina’s help but she was a woman of her word. She wiped the blood and sweat from her eyes using the hem of her shirt and leapt into the fray. They worked surprisingly well together, their movements complimented each other nicely. His brute strength and her speed and grace were an excellent mix. He even called out to her a few times to finish off some of the goons. 

With the last of the men defeated, Selina fell to her knees in exhaustion. Her vision blurred and she was sure she was going to faint. Her body had been pushed to it’s absolute limits, sweat covered her face, her heart felt like it could give out. The Batman helped her to her feet, Holly appeared at her other side, supporting her. 

“So you’re real, huh?” Holly asked the rather silly question. She continued questioning him to no avail. They eventually reached the entrance to the building. “I can take it from here. You go arrest people or do what ever it is bat men do.” And with that, he vanished. 

*** 

 

“Rumours have been swirling about the case of Roman Sionis AKA Black Mask and it’s the hottest topic on Gotham City right now. Pictures of what appears to be the Batman and another mysterious figure have surfaced-“ A woman’s voice came from the TV. Holly flipped the channel. 

“-District Attorney Harvey Dent is said to be tackling the case of Roman Sionis-“ Selina entering the apartment made Holly switch off the TV. 

“Ah, it’s nice to be home.” Selina sighed, throwing her bags down and flopping on the couch beside Holly. 

“It is now that we’ve moved out of that hole.” She replied. “So, what have you been up to?” 

“Aside from some shopping, I just visited our good friend the Riddler. I had some improvements and adjustments to the design I gave him, since we can afford it now.” 

“Did you add Bat ears and a cape now? Since everyone thinks you’re his official side kick now.” Holly teased. 

“That was an unfortunate consequence of saving your life, remember?” 

“After you got me in that situation.” She shot back. 

“Touché… And you haven’t told Leslie about that, right?”

“Relax, I’m not letting that bargaining chip go so easily.” 

“…Damn it. Well, anyway, here are the new designs.” She handed Holly a folder full of sketches for her suit. There were labels and specifications scribbled around the design for a solid black cat suit with a cowl. The cowl had cat ears, the gloves had claws and she could see a crossed out tail suggestion. 

“Catwoman?” Holly questioned. 

“Good, so you understand what I’m going for. Don’t look at me like that, branding is clearly important now.” 

“So, are we going for hero or villain for the Catwoman.” She said with air quotes on the last word.

“Maybe some where in between.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this, I am working on Part 2 but it may take me a while.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out some art I'm doing for this series on gothamsgaygirlgang.tumblr.com
> 
> Here is an example; http://gothamsgaygirlgang.tumblr.com/post/175411398839/this-is-a-companion-piece-to-go-along-with-the
> 
> This was just the intro chapter, don't worry! It picks up.


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